The Katz manuscript is online

[I. Oppenheim <i.oppenheim...>]

I am delighted to announce that the musical heritage
of the Dutch/British chazzan Abraham Katz (1881-1930)
is finally accessible by the public at large.

His manuscript (83pp, 1915) is browsable through my home page
at http://www.xs4all.nl/~danio/irwin/music/

The manuscript is a treat to look at!
I sincerely hope that this web site will enable many people
to share the joy with me of using the compositions of
chazzan Katz.

Quoting from the introduction I wrote:

Of the 33 melodies contained in the work, there are six tunes that are
still in regular use in Amsterdam today. These are: opus 9 (Retseih
Vimnuchateinu), 11 (Kidush Leshabat II), 19 ('Av Harachamim), 23
(Kedushat Musaf III), 28 (Birkat Kohanim) and 31 (Yir'u 'Eineinu).

It is interesting to note that the above-mentioned Kidush tune was quoted
in the German Encyclopedia Judaica (Verlag Eschkol, Berlin 1932). Even
more interesting is that the editors of this article (among which the
famous Arno Nadel) attribute the tune to 'Nusach Amsterdam,' as if it
concerned a traditional melody. An epitome of a tune, which 'looses' its
composer.


Like so many of the Dutch chazanim, Abraham Katz came from the East. His
father Yeruchom was the cantor-in-chief of the Russian town of Bendir.
Abraham took lessons from a female opera singer in Odessa. For a while he
settled in Tyrnau and later on in Vienna, where he was quite successful.

In Vienna he was called attention to an advertisement of the Amsterdam
synagogue board. They were seeking a successor to the then world famous
chazzan Isaac Heymann. Abraham immediately set forth to Amsterdam, were he
was elected in the first round. Unfortunately, he would only be in Dutch
office for six years.

Great talents need a large territory. In 1913 Abraham was elected first
reader of the United Synagogue in London. There he officiated for about 17
years. The last eight years of his life, Abraham Katz struggled with a
terrible disease. June 18th of 1930 he died. It is a pity that the United
Synagogue forbade its cantors to give concerts or to make records.
Therefore we don't have the privilege to be inspired by his golden voice.
Fortunately we do have his manuscript, now more accessible than ever
before.

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